Crisp Panfried Potatoes (Home Fries)

 

Home fries are one of my favorite things to make on breakfast night.  Above is a picture of two different types of new potatoes bought at the farmer's market over the last couple of weeks.  They were delicious.   They do require patience, and even though the recipe calls for peanut oil I have used vegetable oil on several (if not every) occasion.

Here is the full recipe.

HTCE pg.341-342

The HTCEV version has even more variations then big red!

Fresh Tomato (or Fruit) Salsa

I always argue with myself over writing a post with no picture or posting the bad picture that I do have.  As you can see above, the later option won.  My husband loves this fresh salsa and asks for it every time we have any dish of the mexican variety.  In the picture above I do not have any cilantro, but that is one of our favorite ingredients.  I would suggest making this ahead of time if you can so that the flavors have a chance to meld together.

HTCE p.23
Full Recipe

Braised Chard with Olive Oil and Rice

Let me start off by saying I don't care for greens.  My husband is a veggie-vore and loves anything green, but I just have a hard time getting past the often bitter taste.  Well, this recipe was a winner!  A truly great starter recipe for those of us who don't like the pungent taste of greens.  My three year old asked for seconds and my 14 month old gobbled all her's up!

The only reason I'm even cooking greens is because we joined a CSA this year.  Colvin Family Farms to be specific.  This week in our box we got a whole bunch of rainbow swiss chard.  Now, I've never eaten or cooked chard before but I knew where I could get a recipe, my good old red friend, HTCE. 

 

You'll want to start off this recipe by washing your chard well and shaking it off in the sink before wrapping it up in a kitchen towel to dry off a bit.  The recipe instructs you to cut out the ribs, but I learned long ago from Rachel Ray that is never necessary!  Just hold the dark green by the stem and make your other hand into a claw.  Use your claw hand to strip the leave from the stem.  Voila!  No cutting stems out of individual leaves!

Now, line up all those beautiful stems, give them a trim and then chop away.  I hear you can use the stems like celery in other dishes if you just want to use the leaves for another recipe.

Frying the stems in olive oil with carrots is a key step!  The carrots in the finished dish have great texture.  We served our rice next to fish sticks:

HTCE p.285
Full Recipe
Nutrition: 4 servings, 217 calories, 18.3g fat, 13.3g carbs, 3g protien

Stir-Fried Chicken with Cabbage

When my friend Betsy suggested this cookbook to me my first complaint was that it didn't have any pictures.  Foodies will tell you that we eat with our eyes first and I have to agree.  Pictures of the recipes was one of the main reasons I wanted to write this blog in the first place!

If you have the HTCE app it highlights one recipe a week and along with a note a picture of the recipe is sent out.  Well the picture that was sent out last week had me very intrigued!  I'm only sorry that my picture isn't as good theirs was.

Not only did this dish taste wonderful but it was quick and easy!  The best part is that other than the Napa cabbage I usually have all the other ingredients on hand.  I did use about two pounds of dark meat chicken because the cabbage was over one and a half pounds.  This was so good we will be having it again next week!  As you can see from the picture we served it over rice.

HTCE p.643
Full Recipe

Overnight Waffles

Last night the newscaster mentioned that she loves waffles with peanut butter for breakfast.  Waffles with peanut butter?  Genius!!

So there it was 10:30pm and I have a craving for waffles.  The problem is that Wednesday mornings are our most rushed morning.  Not only do we have to get Ethan off to school, but Asher and I attend BSF so I have to get our bags ready too.  Then I remembered that Bittman has an overnight waffle recipe!  The perfect solution.

I had tried these waffles before but I only let the batter rest for a few hours.  These were much more yeasty tasting and the recipe yielded 6 of these giant waffles instead of just four.  The results were scrumptious!  I have to say that I did take the extra step and broke out my hand mixer to whip those egg whites until they held a soft peak.  I know this is an extra step and three extra dishes but it was well worth it!  It really increased the volume of the batter and added to the lightness of the finished waffle.

The other plus about this batter is that we ran out of time this morning (see previous note about Wednesday mornings) and I didn't have time to cook all the waffles.  No problem!  I just covered the batter and stuck it back in the fridge.  When we got home this afternoon I reheated the waffle iron and finished cooking the last two waffles.  They look just like the ones from this morning so I'm expecting they will taste the same.

You might be wondering how the peanut butter went; it was delicious!  On one side of the 2x2 waffle I drizzled our favorite syrup (Steen's) and on the other side I spread peanut butter.  Then I folded the waffle over on itself and I had breakfast to go!  I will definitely be making these again and again (even on Wednesdays). 

HTCE p.816

HTCEV p.204
Full Recipe 

Naan

Recipe: Naan
Page: 873
Rating: *****

If you like Indian food, Mark's Naan recipe is the way to go! They're delicious and stay pliable for a while (something most homemade versions do not do). They are not hard to make, but they do require some rolling action so plan around that. They cook in just a few minutes, so once you've done the rolling out you won't have to wait long to eat them. We serve them with curry dishes usually. MMmmmmm

Simpler Baked Brown Rice (Variation)

Recipe: Simpler Baked Brown Rice (variation of Simper-than-Pilaf Baked Rice)
Page: HTCE p. 453
Rating: *****

I've cooked A LOT of brown rice in my day, and I've tried several methods. For a while, my favorite was a Cook's Illustrated version where you baked it, but first, I had to bring some water and butter to a boil, then pour it over the rice in a different pan, then cover the pan with 2 layers of foil, and then I had kids... and any extra pot/step was thrown out with the baby's bath water.

So, I started boiling it and just draining off the extra water at the end. Not bad. In fact, Mark gives us this version somewhere--actually, it's the very first recipe in the grains chapter. And, it's easy and predictable.

But then.... I tried this recipe. And. It's. AMAZING. PERFECT brown rice--distinct grains, good flavor, frees up an eye on the stove, even reheats well. I leave out the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, use the butter, and add 1 t. salt and a sprinkle of pepper per batch. Good news: you can even triple this recipe with the same timing and results!!! I use my Le Creuset wanna-be enameled cast iron 5-quart dutch oven from Aldi so that I have a nice, heavy, tight-fitting lid--that's important so the steam can't escape. I think Mark's liquid allowance is a little generous and may cut it back a touch next time.

Highly recommended!!!

My First Brussels Sprouts

After being at my in-laws for a week during Thanksgiving I was re-inspired to get back into the kitchen and cook for my family.  Since having Asher cooking has seemed like drudgery but after seeing this recipe I had to try my hand at Brussels sprouts!

Now I don't have any pictures of this recipe because I ate it too quickly, and for never having a Brussels sprout before I thought these were awesome!  I was happy to find that Bittman has many recipes for sprouts in HTCE and one of them is very similar to Tyler's example above.  As a matter of fact Bittman left off the one thing we didn't really like about Tyler's recipe - the soggy breadcrumb topping.

I will say that if I make this recipe again I will combine Bittman's recipe and Tyler's by only cutting the sprouts in half (way quicker) and browning them in the pan with the bacon before adding the water (or if you have it, stock).  If my oven happens to be on, I will still add the Parmesan cheese though because it was nice and crunchy and added a nice texture contrast.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (variation)

Recipe: Sandwich Bread, 5 Ways: 50 Percent Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread variation
Page: HTCE p. 859ff
Rating: *****

This is my go to sandwich bread recipe these days: quick (via food processor magic), doubles well, nourishing, tasty, easy, reliable, cheap, .... We make it with one primary change: subbing water for the milk called for. I've found this gives a softer, chewier bread, which we like better. I always use honey and oil (not butter). It's a leisurely process as far as rising time, but super quick to pull the basic dough together. It's a great all-purpose bread and makes terrific raisin bread. It also freezes well.

Muffins, Infinite Ways

Recipe: Muffins, Infinite Ways
Page: HTCE p. 832
Rating: *****

If I've rated these before, then just know they merit AT LEAST 2 ***** ratings. I make these almost weekly. You can't go wrong. They're delicious and just the right size. I've made muffins regularly for 15 years now--I even have a cookbook that is just for muffins. But this is now my go to recipe. I usually use oil instead of butter because I'm lazy. Otherwise, I follow directions per.

Oh--I also usually use half white whole wheat flour.

Variations that our family loves: Banana Nut Muffins (using half whole wheat flour and skipping the nuts), Blueberry Muffins (a real fave around here; leave out the cinnamon, the lemon zest is wonderful but I don't always have time/lemons), Cranberry Muffins (another fave), Coffee Cake Muffins (yum yum yum!), and the Savory Muffins (good with cheese in them instead of the onion).

Enjoy!

Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Wine Sauce

Recipe: Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Wine Sauce
Page: HTCE p. 679
Rating: ******************

I make this frequently and my family licks their plates, scoops more sauce onto potatoes (or green beans or whatever's left on the plate) and keeps eating. It's the same method as the 1997 edition of Joy of Cooking Simple Sauteed Chicken recipe, but the ingredients vary a touch. Both cookbooks have the same basic sauteed chicken cutlets recipe, but the wine sauce recipe is where Mark shines: SO SIMPLE.

As Bridgette does, Mark calls for you to pound the chicken slightly--I just do it a touch to even out the thickest part. He calls for 1 cup of flour; you really only need about1/4-1/2 a cup. And, don't oversalt your chicken; the sauce is reduced so much that it will be too salty; just salt the chicken a touch before cooking because you can always add more later.

Incidentally, we're not sure we can taste the wine a lot. I've done this with Scotch, Reisling, whatever's on hand that's white/light in color. I think it would be just as good with chicken broth plus an herb or two (if I'm using wine, I don't bother with the herbs much--usually too busy on a weeknight).

It makes a terrific entree for a nice dinner that still only takes 1/2 an hour to make. Serve it with some mashed or roasted potatoes (you'd have to start the potatoes first), some green beans, and some bread: classy meal on a weekday that's easy to make and inexpensive!

Grilled or Broiled Split Chicken

I'm so glad I tried this recipe!  I usually just use whole chickens to make crockpot rotisserie chicken, but back last December I forgot to put the chicken in the crock pot and after searching HTCE came up with this solution.  The results were delicious and done in less than an hour!

Not only is this chicken beautiful to look at, but using the directions on page 692 it was surprisingly easy to do.  I cooked my bird in the oven, but we'll probably try it on the grill this fall.  I used just the basic recipe and it was tasty. Tonight I had intend to try the honey-mustard version, but after reading this post I have a whole table of options to peruse (p.642-3)....I'll let you know what I try.

HTCE p.693

HTCE: The App!!

http://www.culinate.com/app/htce

So we all know how much I love Bittman's big red cookbook, and for those of you who know me well, you also know how much I love my iPad.  Now the two have come together in the How To Cook Everything App for the iPhone.  I can't really say enough about this app.  It is everything the cookbook is and then some!  You can search for recipes by ingredient (i.e. fresh bread crumbs), use the built in timers, make grocery lists with the recipes you are planning to cook.  You can even save and name grocery list for future occasions.

One of the neat features in the grocery list department is that you can see what recipe each item is coming from.  That way if the grocery store is out of a particular item, you know what recipe will be short and you can make the necessary substitutions.

There are plenty of online reviews out there so I'll stop mine here.  One thing to note about all the online reviews that I read is that they all gave this app a 4.5 or 5 stars!  Also I just read, "...the kind people at Culinate tell me that there will be a future app just for the How to Cook Everything Vegetarian book. They also report they are working on an iPad specific version of the HTCE app."  I hope when the iPad version comes out they will discount it for those of us that are using the iPhone version on our iPads!

Oven-"Fried" Fish Fillets

I'm sad to say that I did not get a picture of this recipe, however it was delicious!  I think the extra touch that made this dish for me was at the end of step two when you pour the extra butter down over the fish.  I do think if I make this recipe again I will use a little bit more seasoning on the fish.  I did use Fresh Bread Crumbs that I made from all of the leftover hamburger and hot dog buns I had after a recent party.

I also can't wait to try the crushed cereal variation.

HTCE p.568

Similar Recipe

Simplest Omelet (Denver Variation)

I wish I could eat this all over again!  Unlike Mark's suggestion I just cooked the onions, bell peppers and ham in the same skillet I was going to cook the omelet in.  I also was doubling the recipe and added 3/4 cup ham for two omelets.  With the Denver Omelet fixins and a handful of cheddar it was plenty of filling!!  I also add all of my filling on one side and then flip the other half of the omelet over the filling.  Like so:

This recipe lists the servings number as 2, and maybe for breakfast with 5 eggs you could split just one omelet, but in our case I used 4 eggs per person and for dinner we both were able to eat the entire thing.

So good.....

HTCE p.802

HTCEV p.172
Full recipe

Pasta with Bacon and Dried Tomatoes (variation)

Recipe: Pasta with Bacon and Dried Tomatoes (variation of Pasta with Pancetta and Pecorino)

Page: HTCE p. 506

Rating: *****

Since I've rated Pasta Carbonara highly, it should be no surprise that our family enjoyed this as well. This is easier and the dried tomatoes add a nice flavor dimension. Mmmmm

I used thick sliced bacon, didn't use any additional oil when I was cooking it, and just kept adding ingredients to the drained pasta as they were ready. I added a bit of reserved pasta cooking water at the end.

French Toast

Recipe: French Toast

Page: HTCE p. 794

HTCEV p.177

Full Recipe
Rating: *****

This was truly amazing.... I should confess that I used day old (homemade) French bread that I sliced and left sitting out all night. I also made sure I soaked it well in the egg/milk mixture. I didn't add the optional sugar, used whole milk, and cinnamon instead of vanilla. My daughter wasn't a huge fan (don't know what her problem was) but my boys ate it up. I personally loved it. We served it with syrup.

Fish Baked in Foil (or a Casserole Dish)

Recipe: Fish Baked in Foil

Page: HTCE p. 571

Rating: *****

This is a terrific summer recipe to have on hand. Cooking time is minimal and the dish can be assembled ahead of time! I followed the suggestion to "toss it all together in a covered casserole" because I was feeling too lazy to wrap everything in little packets. It was delicious. My camera's memory card is full, or I would have snapped a pic of this recipe for sure; it's very pretty.

I used frozen cod fillets. I used fresh oregano instead of the parsley or basil--I think the parsley and/or basil would have been more flavorful and next time will go with those. I also put some thin lemon slices on top as suggested under the "Fish Baked in Foil with Vegetables" variation (I used almost one whole lemon for this). Definitely added a nice touch.

Oh--and my kids ate it up like crazy! Added bonus.

We ate it with salad, peas, and leftover pita bread with hummus. Next time, I'll serve some good bread with it instead of the pita (unless I have it leftover again!).

Coffee Cake Muffins (Variation)

Recipe: Muffins, Infinite Ways--Coffee Cake Muffin variation

Page: HTCE, p. 833

Rating: *****

These were yummy--every bit as good as the quick coffee cake. I didn't mix the topping in the batter; I wish I had done that and left a bit less for the tops of the muffins because the topping crumpled some as I removed the muffins from the pan. I used half of the quick coffee cake topping since I had it left over. I also used half white whole wheat flour and added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter (since I knew I wasn't using the topping in the batter).

A definite Sunday morning option in our "coffee cake tradition" that we've begun.

Yogurt or Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe: Yogurt or Buttermilk Biscuits
Page: HTCE p. 845 (HTCEV p694)
Rating: *****

I've made these so often, I don't even need the recipe. We LOVE these. They remind me of Cracker Barrel biscuits. I usually use 4 tablespoons butter, half whole wheat flour and add a bit more yogurt (I always use yogurt) than he recommends (I'm sure that's because the whole wheat flour soaks up more moisture). I love that he tells you to pat these out instead of rolling them out. Somehow, that little extra step saved helps. I often cut these into squares to save even getting out a circle cutter (read: drinking glass).

I've made the Baking Powder Biscuit variation as well as the Drop Biscuit variation--both are good substitutes, especially for savory biscuits to go with dinner. For instance, tonight I added 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, some garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon or so Italian seasoning; I combined the Baking Powder and Drop variations and had biscuits to go with dinner so easily! (And they were YUMMY.) In the main recipe, I've also left out the baking soda with no ill effects.

I've got the recipe on my recipe blog for those interested: "Cracker Barrel Biscuits"